Mountains to Molehills: 'Just ask'

Published: Sunday, July 13, 2014 at 4:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Friday, July 11, 2014 at 12:56 p.m.

Allen Roberts of Penrose says Sharon Mills of Hendersonville gave in a recent Mountains to Molehills column a pretty complete and accurate account of the problems of capitalism. “What she did not do,” says Mr. Roberts, “is suggest a demonstrably better alternative. Why are people risking their lives to come here from Central America? They were poor there and will be poor here, but apparently our version of ‘poor’ is better somehow. There will always be a rich-poor spread. In dictatorships, the few at the top are very wealthy while everyone else starves — often on purpose to keep them subdued. Jesus said, ‘The poor you will always have with you.’ This is a truism regardless of whether you believe Jesus even existed. Yes, the New Deal did many good things, but, like everything else in life, it had its problems. So, Sharon, what is your proposed alternative, and where has it been demonstrated to work? What are its warts and virtues? The virtue of capitalism seems to be that, while it does indeed increase the rich-poor spread, it also lifts the bottom so that our poor are better off than the poor under any other system I know. Just ask those risking the trip across the border from Central America and Mexico.”

‘ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT’: Angela Mahaffey of Hendersonville is plenty ticked at the government. “I am steamed,” she says. “It just keeps cutting things that affect our children. It doesn’t affect me, but there are so many families relying on state-funded programs. I just wish our government wouldn’t cut programs, especially food, for the young children and the elderly.” On the other hand, she lectures federal officials about their spending ways. “It doesn’t end with our state Legislature,” she says. “From Congress to the president, there is room for improvement. I guess, however, we can’t expect it overnight, but they’ve just got to stop borrowing, put people back to work and stop relying on other countries.”

QUIPS A MOM: “As a mother of a teenager, I now know why some animals eat their young.”

LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Don’t miss the Street Dance on Monday at the Visitors Center in Hendersonville. The 7-9 p.m. dance will feature Bobby & Blue Ridge Tradition and J. Creek Cloggers. Bobby & Blue Ridge Tradition is a five-piece bluegrass band based in Asheville. The band plays favorites such as “Rocky Top,” “Salty Dog,” “Tennessee Waltz” and “John Henry.” The J. Creek Cloggers incorporate buck dance, flat-foot and clogging in all of their high-energy routines. Based in Waynesville, the team will be traveling across the Carolinas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Louisiana this year. Admission is free. Bring a chair. At 6:30 p.m., caller Walt Puckett will teach audience members some basic Appalachian square dance steps, so everyone can join in the fun. u A new class in scrapbooking will start Monday at The Opportunity House. Do you have drawers full of photos and don’t know what to do with them? This class will show you how to make a scrapbook that will be a family heirloom for generations to come. You will learn everything from how to sort your photos, to layouts, choosing the right paper, tools, techniques and embellishments. The class meets for five weeks, and the cost is $50 for members; $60 for nonmembers.

<p>Allen Roberts of Penrose says Sharon Mills of Hendersonville gave in a recent Mountains to Molehills column a pretty complete and accurate account of the problems of capitalism. “What she did not do,” says Mr. Roberts, “is suggest a demonstrably better alternative. Why are people risking their lives to come here from Central America? They were poor there and will be poor here, but apparently our version of 'poor' is better somehow. There will always be a rich-poor spread. In dictatorships, the few at the top are very wealthy while everyone else starves — often on purpose to keep them subdued. Jesus said, 'The poor you will always have with you.' This is a truism regardless of whether you believe Jesus even existed. Yes, the New Deal did many good things, but, like everything else in life, it had its problems. So, Sharon, what is your proposed alternative, and where has it been demonstrated to work? What are its warts and virtues? The virtue of capitalism seems to be that, while it does indeed increase the rich-poor spread, it also lifts the bottom so that our poor are better off than the poor under any other system I know. Just ask those risking the trip across the border from Central America and Mexico.”</p><p>'ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT': Angela Mahaffey of Hendersonville is plenty ticked at the government. “I am steamed,” she says. “It just keeps cutting things that affect our children. It doesn't affect me, but there are so many families relying on state-funded programs. I just wish our government wouldn't cut programs, especially food, for the young children and the elderly.” On the other hand, she lectures federal officials about their spending ways. “It doesn't end with our state Legislature,” she says. “From Congress to the president, there is room for improvement. I guess, however, we can't expect it overnight, but they've just got to stop borrowing, put people back to work and stop relying on other countries.”</p><p>QUIPS A MOM: “As a mother of a teenager, I now know why some animals eat their young.”</p><p>LAST BUT NOT LEAST: Don't miss the Street Dance on Monday at the Visitors Center in Hendersonville. The 7-9 p.m. dance will feature Bobby & Blue Ridge Tradition and J. Creek Cloggers. Bobby & Blue Ridge Tradition is a five-piece bluegrass band based in Asheville. The band plays favorites such as “Rocky Top,” “Salty Dog,” “Tennessee Waltz” and “John Henry.” The J. Creek Cloggers incorporate buck dance, flat-foot and clogging in all of their high-energy routines. Based in Waynesville, the team will be traveling across the Carolinas, Kentucky, Tennessee and Louisiana this year. Admission is free. Bring a chair. At 6:30 p.m., caller Walt Puckett will teach audience members some basic Appalachian square dance steps, so everyone can join in the fun. u A new class in scrapbooking will start Monday at The Opportunity House. Do you have drawers full of photos and don't know what to do with them? This class will show you how to make a scrapbook that will be a family heirloom for generations to come. You will learn everything from how to sort your photos, to layouts, choosing the right paper, tools, techniques and embellishments. The class meets for five weeks, and the cost is $50 for members; $60 for nonmembers.</p>